Ok so I've been hearing this version of "Float On" that sounded old school so I said oh I didn't know Modest Mouse did covers, well that's cool. So someone said, "No, I think this one is new and covers Modest Mouse." In that case, I said, "Well, this sounds really bad then." If it were older it'd make more sense, it was too mellow and sunshiney...
But it did not beat this one by a long shot... a Fine Young Cannibals song came on the other day that was pretty crappy but I tolerated it, until I heard all too familiar lyrics. Bewildered, I cringed and said, "OH MY GOD. Please tell me they did NOT cover Ever Fallen In Love With Someone by the Buzzcocks." It was a complete travesty. Download both and you tell me...

Reel Big Fish does fantastic covers. Like "Kiss me deadly" by: Lita Ford, "Boss DJ" by:Sublime, "Story of my Life" by: Social Distortion, "Take on me" by:A-ha to name a few. They're not trying to make them better, but some to me actually do sound better.

My friends the Heart Attacks did a pretty cool version of CCR's Travelin' Band that they'd play almost every show (http://www.myspace.com/theheartattacks) but I think the one they have up on their page isn't as good as seeing it live. I have a video of my other friends The Bitter End covering Misfits' Last Caress which was the first time I'd heard it...the video is kind of worth more now because the drummer died about a year later and we played that at his funeral and his friend's funeral 4 months later. That is an awesome song to go out to hehe

Two really well done covers that I've heard are Sixpence None the Richer's version of Don't Dream It's Over originally by Crowded House and The Cranberries did an incredible cover of Fleetwood Mac's Go Your Own Way. Their guitarist even manages to sound like Lindsey Buckingham. It's cool.

Here's where it gets bad...one time I was eating dinner with some friends, one being a musician. The original version of that song...That's Just the Way It Is (?) came on and I noticed the musician looking perplexed. He then said what I worried about next: "This is the worst remake of a Tupac song I ever heard!" I slapped my head and said, "No no...I don't know who sings this but this is the original." That cleared the look on his face but I would have thought a musician would know this. I guess someone just handed him a guitar and said shut up and play.

Just because you're a musician doesn't mean you know everything. I play the drums, and I don't know every song and it's original artist. All I know is that I like to play drums, and it's probably similar for him and whatever instrument he plays.

Eh well I figured he could have at least known that one haha...considering he was about 21.
Other good covers I've heard!
The Damned's version of Ballroom Blitz
The Hives cover of anything (they have a medley video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu4XawBelwg) Some of them are kind of bad which make it good (and funny) ;P
Eagles of Death Metal's cover of Stuck in the Middle with You (Stuck in the Metal with You)
And the Raconteur's cover of The Undertones' Teenage Kicks.

Great cover = Melechesh Gyroscope, they covered the tea party's song gyroscope... lol black metal covering a pop song, great stuff. Not that any of you even know who melechesh is -.- Another great cover is Elizabeth Báthory By dissection....not that any of you will know what band that is either : /